The Exclamation Point Epidemic: 'Very Much an American Issue'

Today, Jen Doll declared 2012 the year of the exclamation point. Our commenters totally agreed! One person argued that liberally dotting texts and emails with exclamation points is a distinctly American trend. judd6149, who left the US eight years ago and now works in London, writes:

There is an exclamation point epidemic happening and it is very much an American issue ... Everyone in my office asks me why Americans have to be so loud even when they type.

He goes on to give this advice to over-exclaimers:

All exclamation point addicts should pause before that hit shift+1 and ask them selves, "how would this sound if I said this out loud?" If someone was face to face with someone else and start dropping !-bombs, people would think that they are high on espresso or just exceptionally alarmed and enthusiastic about what they are saying.